23rd September 2016

The Vortex Jazz Club, part of Dalston Culture House, is one of the best place to listen live music while drinking red wine. It is a very intimate venue, with wide-lateral windows through which is possible to observe the eventful Gillet Square from the top.

Despite the club is mostly dedicated to jazz music, that night the show was performed by the Congolese band called Kasai Masai. Their music, based on a fusion of traditional Congolese Soukous, Rumba and Funk styles, creates an incredible fast-paced rhythm!

That night, their original Urban Equatorial Funk genre made the audience dance with energy and passion. At the end of the gig I spoke with the percussionist, singer and dancer, Nickens Nkoso, and the guitarist, Otis Tabasenge Lumumba, who seemed happy to collaborate on my research.

30th July 2016

The moment I discovered that the great Congolese band Konono No.1 from Kinshasa was returning to London, I immediately bought a ticket for the show at the Rich Mix in Shoreditch. Their music, based on a vibrant combination of traditional, electronic and rock sounds, was accompanied by strong voices and energetic dances. As a result, they were able to electrify the whole venue!

In addition, that night I also had the pleasure to discover a musical group which I didn’t know before, the Kongo Dia Ntotila. They opened the show as Konono No.1 supporting band. They are composed by two Congolese musicians and three other musicians with different backgrounds. Their music mixes Central African rhythms with jazz style, creating a curios blend of different cultures.

At the end of the gigs, I had a nice conversation with Mulele Matondo Africa, Congolese solo artist and bassist of the Kongo Dia Ntotila. I was very happy to find out that the band is based in London and would like to be involved with my research.